a/n: so after watching the episode, I had no idea what to do with it...turns out, it was the easiest chapter to write. I couldn't remember what Elijah really said during the fight scene so I made it up instead of rewatching the episode (thanks Mom for deleting it!). Anybody else fuming like me when Damon compelled her at the end? Hopefully this one makes you guys feel better :) Again, any questions/concerns let me know :)

NINE

The moment Elijah tore the vervain locket from her throat, Elena felt naked; vulnerable. She shut her eyes and tired to tilt her face away from him, but he was stronger. He cupped the back of her head and forced her to look at him, prying one of her eyes open with his other hand. "Where is the moonstone?" he asked in a silky voice, his eyes dilating like every vampire using their compulsion.

"Mystic Falls. In the tomb with Katherine," she heard herself say automatically as if she were a robot.

"Good girl," he said and shoved her away from him.

As he turned around to speak to Rose, the sound of shattering glass filled the room. Elena's eyes went wide as hope began to build inside her. She had gotten Bonnie's note, but to know that Stefan and Damon were close made her almost giddy with relief.

Elijah glared at her with blood red eyes and protruding veins, his fangs fully extended. "Friends of yours?" he sneered before grabbing her and dragging her towards the staircase where Rose was. She was still looking at the body of her dead friend. "Move!" Elijah hissed, grabbing her arm and pulling her along with Elena.

As they stood in the foyer of the empty mansion, Elena felt the air stir and saw something blur in front of her. Both vampires whirled around trying to catch the culprit, but it was unsuccessful. "Up here," came Stefan's voice in a taunting manner.

Elijah moved swiftly up the stairs only to be rewarded with a stake flying towards his heart. Being as old as he was, he was able to dodge it only to have it slice through the palm of his hand. "Is that all you got?" he taunted back.

Elena gave a muffled cry as an arm snaked around her waist accompanied by a hand over her mouth. She closed her eyes, opening them once she felt herself being pressed between a wall at her back and a solid body at her front. She opened her eyes cautiously, a little afraid it wasn't the person she had been hoping for. Relief made her heart skip a beat at the sight of Damon's piercing blue eyes begging her to be silent. She gave a nod and he let his hand fall away from her mouth.

"This is getting most tiresome," Elijah announced in a bored tone. "I just want the human and then I'll be on my way."

Elena's eyes went wide as Damon pressed something cold and hard into the palm of her hand and curled her fingers around it. She looked down and saw what could only be described as a weapon. Obviously they had raided Alaric's stash of vampire hunting supplies before they came after her. Damon leaned in close, his entire body pressing against hers. He stopped when his lips touched the shell of her ear and tried not to show her how much the small shudder she gave affected him. "Vervain bomb," he breathed, briefly explaining the weapon and its function.

"I will find you and tear you to pieces if you don't hand her over. Now," Elijah threatened.

Damon pulled back just enough so that he could demonstrate what she was supposed to do. Elena was astonished that she had understood his instructions even though he hadn't said a single word. When the non verbal plan had been set in motion, Elena felt her stomach twist into knots and she tried everything she could to stop her heart from beating wildly in her chest. As Damon stepped back to let her go, Elena hoped with every fiber of her being that she had understood his gestures and that she didn't screw this up. It was the only chance of getting out of here alive that she knew of.

Damon nodded at her and she rushed forward, stopping at the top of the staircase. "Please," she whispered. "You don't have to kill them. I'll go with you, just don't hurt them." She tried everything to keep her voice from shaking. "My friends were just trying to rescue me."

Elijah smiled coldly at her from the middle of the staircase. As he took a step forward, she did what Damon had instructed and launched the weapon at him. It exploded in his face and he groaned with agony. Elena sank to the ground and covered her head with her arms, but not before she saw his skin begin to blister as a reaction to the vervain.

She jumped at the sound of wrestling and removed her arms to see Stefan grappling with Elijah. The pair tumbled down the stairs, hitting the ground floor with a sound that could only be described as bones being broken. It made Elena cringe and close her eyes, not wanting to see what came next.

She felt the air stir, involuntarily raising her head as curiosity got the best of her. Stefan was using some sort of stake gun, emptying each piece of wood into Elijah as he advanced on the younger vamp. It didn't seem to be slowing him down in the least. In that moment, Elena thought for sure that the Original was going to get the upper hand. Her lips parted with the full intention of crying out to him, her body moving forward as an automated response, but before any sound came out, Damon appeared holding what used to be the wooden coat rack. Now it was a large stake and it was currently being rammed into Elijah's chest, pinning him to the door as a child would pin the tail on the donkey. Elena watched in horror and awe as his skin turned a disgusting shade of grey and hung limply around the stake.

It took at least a minute before the realization that the danger was over sank in. They had won. Elena jumped at the rush of wind as Rose fled from the house. Damon moved to go after her, but Elena called out to him, pulling herself from her daze. "Let her go," she said softly, holding his gaze with hers.

He stared at her with hard eyes. He wanted nothing more than to go after the girl that had taken Elena. The woman who had handed her over to someone whose intention was to kill her. However, he sensed the pleading in her eyes and he forced himself to relax. He inclined his head and tried to focus on the fact that she was alive and uninjured save for what pain Katherine had caused her the previous night.

To think that he had almost lost her twice in less than twenty-four hours made him realize the true extent of his feelings for her.

Elena began to descend the stairs, trying her best to not trip and fall due to her trembling legs. She wanted to collapse from exhaustion, but in order to do that she needed to be safe, she forced herself to keep moving forward. Fortunately for her, safety was waiting at the bottom of the stairs. All she had to do was make it down without falling.

As her foot touched the ground floor, Stefan stepped between her and Damon, wrapping his arms around her, stopping her in her tracks. "I'm so glad we found you."

Elena stood there with her arms at her sides, unable to raise them. Her eyes shut as she winced from the pain shooting up her arms and down her back as Stefan pressed against the places Katherine had inflicted her damage. She wanted to pull away and seek the comfort she had been trying to get to, but the exhaustion hit her. Elena felt her body go slack as she sagged against Stefan. Her chin rested on his shoulder and her eyes half opened. She regretted it almost immediately. Damon looked so hurt and it broke her heart.

Elena squeezed her eyes shut against the tears that burned them, determined not to fall apart no matter how much she wanted to. "Let's get you home," Stefan said, pulling away only to lift her up to carry her to the car.

She laid her head on his shoulder, glad for the assistance. At this point, she knew walking by herself was out of the question. Her body felt weightless and she could feel her consciousness begin to fade. Her eyes squeezed shut even tighter once they got outside, the sun was so bright.

"What are you doing?" Damon asked as Stefan placed the unconscious Elena into the back seat before crawling in after her.

"What does it look like?" Stefan asked, pausing to look at his brother.

"Hell no."

"Damon-"

"I'm not playing chauffeur," he said stubbornly. The last thing he wanted to do was drive almost a hundred miles back to Mystic Falls with the sight of Elena and Stefan embracing in his rearview mirror. "Besides, it will be more comfortable if she gets to stretch out and have the bench all to herself."

Stefan sighed, knowing Damon was right. "Do you have a blanket in the trunk?"

Damon nodded. "I brought one just in case. I don't want blood on the seats."

Stefan shook his head as he made his way to the back of the car, digging through the contents until he pulled out a blanket. He draped it over Elena and made a pillow out of an old sweatshirt of Damon's he had found next to the blanket. He then took his seat in the passenger side of the car and watched as Damon took his place behind the wheel. They both knew it was going to be a very long ride home.

Elena came awake to the familiar smell of Damon. She felt a smile taking hold of her dry, cracked lips and she rubbed her cheek against the object beneath her head. Her body was sore as she regained feeling in her extremities, but the scent made it easier to wake up. It was then that she felt a hand on her arm and heard Stefan's voice whispering her name. "Elena, wake up. We're at your house."

Elena opened her eyes and let her surroundings become real. She was in Damon's car, lying on the back seat. She pushed herself into a sitting position and rubbed at her eyes, noticing that her movements were sluggish. As she got out of the car with Stefan's help, she noticed the driver's seat was empty. "Where's Damon?" she asked, her voice sounding hoarse to her own ears.

"He had me drop him off at a bar just outside of town," he answered, supporting her as they walked to her front door.

She nodded and leaned against the exterior of the house. "Thank you for saving me," she breathed.

He reached out and tentatively cupped the side of her face. "We might not be together anymore, but I still-"

"Don't," she pleaded softly, moving her head away from his hand.

He let his hand drop to his side and he became guarded with his emotions. "Look, no matter what happens, I will always be there for you, Elena. I'm always going to save you and I'm willing to die for you if I have to. Damon is too."

"Stefan-"

"It's only fair because you'd do it for us." Elena felt her retort die in her throat and she could only stare at him. "Jeremy's waiting for you," he said and turned to walk back to the car.

Elena watched as he drove away, waiting until he was out of sight before she slipped inside. As the door shut, she heard her brother's voice from upstairs. "Elena!"

Carefully, she made her way up the stairs and into the arms of Bonnie. "Oh thank God!" the witch whispered into Elena's hair as she held onto her friend, afraid to let go.

"I got your note," Elena informed her, returning Bonnie's hold with the same amount of force.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Bonnie added before reluctantly stepping back. "I should go...give you two some space."

"You don't-"

"I'll see you tomorrow," Bonnie assured her and went into Jeremy's room to collect her things before leaving the siblings alone.

Jeremy immediately gathered his sister into his arms and held her close. She winced as he pressed against her wounds as Stefan had done. "We were so worried," he breathed.

Elena relaxed against him and tightened her hold. She felt better now that she was home and completely out of danger. For now. "I was too."

"Did they hurt you?"

She shook her head and pulled back as she felt a tear hit her cheek. Only she wasn't crying. The tears leaking from Jeremy's eyes made her tear up as she reached out to wipe them away. "It's okay, Jer. I'm fine. Damon and Stefan got there just in time. They didn't lay a hand on me." With that, she held onto him again, placing her head on his chest.

When they finally did break apart, Jeremy led her to her room and helped her sit on her bed, using the headboard as a backrest. "Are you hungry? Do you need anything?"

Elena started to shake her head before looking up at him with wide eyes. "Do we still have vervain tea?"

He nodded and then dropped his gaze to her neck. "Where's your..." Anger flooded his face as his hands curled into fists. "Elena they-"

"Yes, one of them compelled me, but it was just to get information. Nothing else."

"How can you be sure? The whole point of compulsion is that you don't know what's happening."

The murderous look on his face scared her. It was the first time she had seen her brother like this and in a strange way, it warmed her heart. "I promise you Jeremy, nothing happened."

He seemed to calm down although she wasn't quite convinced that he believed her. "Just the tea?"

She nodded. "And some very strong pain killers," she added, eliciting a smirk from him before he returned her nod and headed downstairs.

Elena sighed and sat back against the headboard. Her eyes closed and the image of Damon's pained expression filled her vision. She forced her eyes open and focused her attention to the wall on the opposite side of the room. She completely zoned out, not even noticing when Jeremy came back into the room until he snapped his fingers in front of her face.

He placed the container of pills on her nightstand and handed her the cup of tea. "I put a little bit more vervain than was necessary. Just to be safe," he said as she sat by her side and began to uncap the pill bottle.

Elena smiled as she raised the steaming liquid to her lips. "Thanks."

"How many do you want?"

"Enough to knock me out," she said with another smirk.

Jeremy shook his head as he smiled and handed her four of the pills. It was a strong dose, enough to knock her out within a half hour or less. Elena finished her tea, wanting the vervain to be in her system before she was too tired to finish the cup. "I was the one to discover that you were missing," he said quietly.

"What?"

"This morning, I was getting ready for school and I kept calling for you, but you didn't answer. Your bed was made and I just assumed you and Stefan had patched things up and you went over there. I joked with him about it and he said he never saw you after the Masquerade. If I hadn't-"

"Jeremy, stop," she demanded, surging forward to wrap her arms around him despite the pain that the effort caused. "Don't think like that. I'm home, I'm safe, and I-" she stopped as she remembered the blood stains on her shirt. "And I need to get rid of these clothes," she finished.

Jeremy gave a light smile and helped her stand. "I'll take care of this," he said, grabbing the pills and the tea cup. "You take care of your clothes."

"Then I'm going to bed. Night Jer."

"Goodnight Elena," he said and closed her door behind him.

Elena got ready for bed as fast as she could, stuffing the bloody shirt under the sink until she could dispose of it properly. She could already feel the pills working, her muscles didn't really need the extra encouragement to relax and it was only a matter of time before she fell into a deep sleep. Hopefully Jeremy would remember to make up a story for Jenna so that her aunt wouldn't disturb her in the morning. She stood in front of the sink after brushing her teeth and changing into her pajamas and just stared at herself. There were bags under her eyes and she looked exhausted, but she was grateful to be alive. Pushing herself away from the counter, she made her way into her room again.

She was startled by the sight of Damon sitting on the window seat. "Cute," he said in reference to her outfit.

Elena shook her head and took a deep breath. "I'm exhausted Damon. Whatever you have to say, it can wait until tomorrow. I can't do this right now."

He stood up, ignoring her request, and moved towards her, holding out his hand to reveal her vervain locket dangling from his fingertips. "I brought you something."

"My necklace," she breathed. "I thought-"

"I saw it when I was searching the house to make sure no one else was there. I had to replace the chain, but I got it back." She nodded and reached out for it, fear spreading through her like wildfire when he jerked it away from her reach. "There's something I have to say first."

"Why can't you say it while I'm wearing my necklace?" she questioned, unsure if he was aware of the vervain coursing through her system. She knew he wasn't going to hurt her, but he didn't quite seem like himself at the moment.

He took another step closer and unleashed the full effect of his eyes. She was lost as she felt him drawing her in, unable to look away. "Stefan said something earlier and it made sense. Katherine tore us apart because we were blinded by our love for her. In the end, it cost us our lives and what we thought was hers. It can't be the same way this time around. I won't let it happen."

"Damon-" she breathed, knowing what his next words were going to be. She had been anticipating them since the moment Isobel had said them.

"I love you, Elena. I love you enough to know that I have to back away otherwise you will get hurt. I don't deserve you, but my brother does." He heard her heart rate increase and it tore him in two as he saw the tears gathering in her eyes. He reached up to cup her face, leaning in to place a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I'm telling you this before I give you the necklace because I can't have you remembering this," he whispered.

Elena saw his eyes dilating and knew instantly that he was trying to compel her to forget. In an instant, the necklace was fastened around her neck and Damon was gone, her curtains flapping in his wake.

He loved her.

Elena barely made it to her bed before her knees gave out. He had finally come clean with his feelings and poured his heart out to her. Elena sat there, staring at the window seat where he had been. She had no idea how she was supposed to act around him now since she wasn't supposed to remember his confession. As she let her body fall backwards, head hitting the pillow, she felt a little bit of anger towards Damon. She thought of how close they had been getting these past few weeks and about how her feelings for him had changed as well. "How dare he," Elena muttered, feeling her eyelids grow heavy.

It hurt, knowing he didn't want her to remember. Mostly because the realization hit her as she began to drift off to sleep; she knew she was in love with him too.